Gear-generating machine.



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I ERFeZZows- No. 879,531. PATENTED FEB. 18,1908. E. R. FELLOWS. GEAR GENERATING MACHINE.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. 1903.

' PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. E. R. FELLOWS.

GEAR GENERATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. 1903.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I Efil ello g e t 29W? No. 879,531. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. E. R. FELLOWS.

GEAR GENERATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED N V. 27.1903.

0 10 SHEETSSHEET 4'.

lIlIlIIIl/III JNUIZTOT'. a ZTfiFeZZozqa. 93 Jun No. 879,531. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. E. R. FELLOWS.

GEAR GENERATING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.27, 1903. J 10 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJIIIIIW n6 No. 879,531. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. I

E. R. FELLOWS. GEAR GENERATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27, 1903.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

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wifnas ses. fi/h flit/M PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. B. R. FELLOWS.

GEAR GENERATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.2 7.1903.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

No. 879,531. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. E. R. FELLOWS. GEAR GENERATING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV 27.1903.

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m VIIIIIIIIIIIII No. 879,581. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. E. R. FELLOWS.

GEAR GENERATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27.1903.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

I No. 879,531. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908.

v E. R. FELLOWS.

GEAR GENERATING MACHINE.

APPLIO TION I LED N v.2 .1 03. A I 0 7 9 I 10 SHEETSSHEET 10.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

EDWIN R. FEIJLOWS OF SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO THE FELLOWS GEAR SHAPER COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT, A CORPORATION OF VERMONT.

GEAR-GENERATING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWIN R. FELLOWS, of Springfield, in the county of Windsor and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gear-Generating Machines, of which the following is specification.

This invention relates to gear-generating machines of the type described in my former patents No. 579,708, March 30, 1897, and

No. 676,227, June 11, 1901, for planing gears .or racks on the generating system, a gearshaped cutter being reciprocated to impart aning movement and rotated in conjunction with the work to impart a feed movement equivalent to that of intermeshing gears or a rack and pinion.

The present invention consists in certain improvements on machines described in said patents, designed to simplify the machine and improve the quality of work performed thereby.

One feature of the invention relates to the backing-off mechanism whereby the cutter is relieved'from contact with the work on the return stroke of the'cutter, the present embodiment including anoscillatory frame or saddle which journals the rotating and reciprocating cutter, said saddle being oscil- 30' lated to give the backing-off movement and having suitable novel.connections whereby the reciprocating and rotary movements are imparted to the cutter, and whereby the latter is adjusted for length of stroke, this phase of the invention including novel mechanism for imparting the backing-off movement and for holding the cutter bearing rigid during the cutting stroke.

The invention further includes improved means for disconnecting the workindex wheel from its driving, device so as to allow the work to be freely rotated by hand when desired, and suitable universal driving connections for permitting such disconection.

An additional feature is the improved means for stopping the rotary feed when a circuit of the work has been made, said means including a rotary abutment to trip the member which holds. the feed in operation, intermittent. feeding mechanism for said rotary abutment, and means whereby the depth-feed controls the feed of the rotary abutment, there being further provisions whereby the rotary abutment and its cooper- Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Application 5185 November 2'7. 1903. Serial No. 182.739.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

ating member controlling the rotary feed of the cutter are placed by the de th-feed locking-bolt in the proper mutua relation for beginning the rotary feed of said abutment.

Finally, the invention comprises improved work-holding means whereby natural errors in the blanks are compensated for and prevented from becoming cumulative.

Of the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a gear-shaper embodying this invention. Fig. 2 represents a right-hand end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 represents a rear elevation. Fig. 4 represents a left-hand end elevation. Fig. 5.

represents a horizontal section through the pivot of the saddle. enlarged vertical transverse section with the base omitted. Fig. 7 represents a horizontal section through the driving-cone and saddLeoscillating shaft. Fig. 8 represents a vertical transverse section through the work-holder and connected parts. Fig. 9 represents a horizontal section through the cutter index wheel. a Fig. 10 represents an enlarged lefthand end elevation 01 parts on the base. Fig 11 represents a plan view of saidparts: Fig. 12 represents a vertical section showing the work-supporting saddle or slide and its feeding devices. Fig. 13' represents a vertical section through the locking-pin of the depthfeed wheel, showing parts controlled thereby. Fig. 14 represents a transverse vertical section of the saddle. Fig. 15 represents a section on line 15-15 of Fig. 7. Fig. 16 represents ahorizontal section showing the rotaryfeed mechanism. Fig. 17 represents arear elevation of the work-feeding worm and means for throwing the same out of gear to permit the free rotation of the blank-holder. Fig. 18 represents a horizontal section of said parts. Fig. 19 represents a vertical section thereof. Fig. 20 represents a section on line 2()20 of Fig. 5, showing the means for adjusting the cutter-reciprocating wrist with Fig. 6 represents an spindle having the index worm-wheel 34'at I Figs. 17, 18 and 19.

its lower end. Index-wheel 34 is rotated by worm 35 on a shaft 36, and said shaft has a bearing 37 mounted as shown in detail in The bearing has a vertical stud 38 mounted eccentrically in asleeve 39 held in a friction-clamp 40 and rotatable by a handle 41 whereby the worm may be thrown into and out of mesh with the indexwheel 34, thereby permitting the blankholder 42, 43 to be freely rotated when necessary. The shaft 36 is composed ofa section '44 splined to a sleeve-section 45, a middle section 46 connected by-universal joint 47 with sleeve-section 45, and a stationarilyjournaled section. 48 on the machine-base connected by universal joint 49 with section 46 and carrying. gear 50 (Figs. 4, 10 and 16) at, its outer end.

The universal 'oints in shaft 36 permit the worm 35 to be t own into and out of gear, andthe spline in said shaft permits the travel of'the work-slide 31. Such movement of the slide is produced for purposes of bringing different diameters of work into operative relation with the cutter and also for giving the depth-feed to the blank at the beginning of operations. To move the work-slide there is provided anon-rotating screw 51 havin threads 52 53 (Fig; 12). field against axiail movement in the slide is a nut 54 manually rotated by bevel-gears'55 56 and spindle 57 and connected to rotate with gear by a tongue and notch connection shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. On the thread 53 is a nut 58 attached to the wheel 59, by a similarly-constructed connection (not shown), for

axially shifting the rod 51 to impart the depthfeed hereinafter again referred to.

60 is the gear-shaped planing cutter fixed to the lower end of a s indle 61 journaled in a saddle 62. This sad oscillatory movement to back-off the cutter on the return stroke of the latter. The saddle is pivoted on a long uill 63 best seen in Fig. 5 and is oscillated y a cam, 64 on a shaft 65, said cam engaging rollers 66 adjustable for wear. A fixed gib 67 guides the lower end of the saddle. 68 is a fixed stop on the machine-frame engaged by a hardened adjustable stud or pin 69 on the saddle when the latter is swung forward, the cam 64 serving to' hold this pin hard against the said stop and thus maintain the saddle and dle is given a slight cutter-spindle rigid 1y in acting position.

The vertical movements of the cutterspindle 61 are guidedby a semi-circular gib 74 thereon engaging'a semi-circular gib 75 on the cutter index-wh'eei 76 (Figs. 6 and 9) and these vertical cutting and return movements are produced by a rack 77 onthe cutter-spindle, a pinion segment 78 meshing with the rack and mounted on a rock-shaft 79 which rotates in the quill 63. The shaft 79 carries a wrist-pin 80 connected by link or pitman 81 wit asecondwrist-pin 82 mounted in a radial slotted guide 83on the gear-wheel 70 (Fig. 3). When the wrist 82 is ad usted radial y to vary the length of stroke of the cutter-spindle it is desirable to correspondingly change the position of the cutter-spindle'so that it may start its cutting stroke from the" same position as before. To this end the wrist-pin 80 is mounted as shown in detail in Figs. 3, 5, '20 and 21. The wrist-pin is mounted on a two-part plate 84 clamped by bolts 85 to a worm-gear segment 86 keyed on the shaft 79. The plate 84 journals a worm 87 meshing with said worm-gear segment. It is obvious that-on engaging the spindle of the worm 87 by a wrench and rotating the worm, the rotary position of'the shaft 79 with respect to the wrist 80 will be varied. a

The machine may be arranged to cut either upwardly or downwardly, .the cutter being reversed to effect different directions of cutting. It will be seen in Fig. 3 that the slotted wristuide 83 extends on both sides.

o posite side of the shaft from that shown,

t e timing of the backing-0E mechanism relatively to the stroke of the cutter will be reversed.

For imparting rotary feed movement to the cutter there s j ournaled on the saddle 62 a worm 88 meshing with the index wormwheel 76 to which'the cutter-spindle 61 is splinedby the gibs 74 75. The spindle 89 of worm 88 connects throu h bevel gears 90 91 (Fig. 9) with a diagona shaft 92 composed of end and middle sections connected y universal joints 93, said 'joints giving sufficient play to permit the oscillatory movements of the saddle 62. Thelower stationarily-journaled sectionof shaft 92 connects by bevel gears 94 95 (Figs. 12'and 16) with a shaft 96, best seen in Fig. 16, which imparts ter.

the rotary feed to both the work and the cut- Shaft 96 is connected with the workrotating shaft 36 by bevel gears 97 98, shaft are shown in Fig. 4 but omitted in Figs. 10 and 16, are change -.gears adapted to be changed for different diameters of work.

For rotating the shaft 96 and hence imparting the rotaryfeed to work and cutter, there are providedthe reverse cone-pulleys 103 104 adapted to be belted together and located respectively on the main drivingshaft 72 and a counter-shaft 105, the latter carrying a gear 106 meshing with a gear 107 (Figs. 4 and 16). Gear 107 loosely surrounds shaft 96 and carries a planetary gear 108 meshing with a gear 109 fast on shaft 96, and an alined gear 110 loose thereon. One of the gears 109 110 has one more tooth than the other so that when gear 110 is held from rotation the motion of gear-wheel 107 is transmitted to shaft 96 in a largely reduced ratio. If gear 110 is released the gear 107 rotates without producing rotation of the shaft 96, whereby the rotary feed of the work and spindle may be stopped.

Fast on the hub of gear 110 are 'a series of arms 111 adapted to be engaged or released by the lower end of a lever 112 fulcrumed at 113. A dog or latch .114 pivoted to the upper end of said lever carries an abutment 115 engageable by an abutment 116 on a gear-wheel 117 (Figs. 10 and 11). The feed motion for said wheel comprises an intermeshing gear 118, ratchet 119 on saidgear, pawl 120 engaging said ratchet and pivoted to lever 12]., and cam 122 on shaft 36 for oscillating lever 121 against the spring 123. makes slightly more than one rotation for a rotation 'of the work index-wheel 34 and when the abutment 1.16 strikes the abutment 115-the lever 112 is oscillated anti-clockwise and the gear110released,.thereby stopping the rotary feed of work and cutter. The latter feed is later reset by the act of withdrawing the locking-pin. 130 and thereafter operates continuously until tripped, so that 7 both rotary and depth feeds are in operation at the same time at the beginning of the cut. This procedure, however, may be varied and the depth-feed finished before the rotary feed is'begun, as will appear later.

- The depth feed is performed by rotating pilot-wheel 59 through the medium of a gear 124 intermeshing therewith, a ratchet 125 on the shaft of said gear, and apawl 126 con-' stantly reciprocated by rock-arms 127 128 (Figs. 10, 7 and 15), the latter engaging cam 129 on gear-wheel 70. a

The pilot-wheel 59 carries as shown particularly in Figs. 10, 12 and 13, a locking pin '1 30 projected toward a fixed keeper or socket 131 by a spring 132 and adapted to be held out of locking position by. a segmental boss 133 on the pin riding on a complemental boss To automatically project 'the pin 130 into locking position whenit comes opposite its keeper 131, there is a. projection 135 on the pin adaptedto en- The wheel 117 stopped, the locking pin 130-is withdrawn and pilot-wheel 59 rotated backward anticlockwise so as to retract the slide 31 the desired distance for the depth or regular feed. The withdrawal of pin 130 allows the prop 138 to drop and the feed-pawl 126 engages 'its ratchet. Also pin 139 acting. on

lever 140 throws outthe pawl 120 through arm 141 and raises dog 114 so that abutment 5 116 may ride under abutment 115. This resets the rotary feed for work and cutter, for a sprin 200, acting on lever 112, then moves the ower end of the latter into the path of the arms- 111. When the machine is started the pawl 126 rotates the pilot-wheel 4 59 step-by-step back to initial position, thereby producing the depth-feed and the pin 130 automatically locks by the engagement of its projection 135 with the fixed projection 136. This raises the prop 138 and throws out the constantly-reciprocating pawl 126 so as to stop the depth-feed. The left-hand of lever 140 being heaviest, said end descends and throws in the awl 120 and dropsthe abutment 115 on t e abutment 116, the former droppinginto the circuit of the latter when the feed of wheel 117 commences. This occurs when the prop 138 rises on completion of the depth-feed and the pawl 120 is dropped on its ratchet. The constantlyrcciproeating lever 121 through the pawl 120, ratchet 119 and gear 118 rotates the gear 117 step-by-step until a circuit of. the work is completed, whereupon the rotary feed is automatically stopped as-aforesaid.

By locating the trip mechanism 111,112

115 11.6, etc., in the position described, any error in the work which might result from locating the trip on the work index-wheel is avoided. a

To render the rotary feed inoperative while the depth-feed takes place, an eccentric abutment 201 on lever1112 may be turned to render'the-spring 200 inoperative ,on said lever, the lever being swung out of the-path of-arms 111. -After the depth feed is complete, the rotary feed maythen be set by hand so as to become operative'by restoring the eccentric 201' and lever 112.

It is obvious that the principles of this machine apply also to the generation of racks, and the term -gear in the claims is employed in its generic sense, as including racks.

In Fig. 25, I have shown means for opercutter spindle. is journaled, an oscillatory 'ating simultaneously on a plurality of blanks or gangs of blanks with a plurality of cutters.

" In this instance two cutters 60 60 are shown as mounted on the cutter-spindle 61 and separated by a spacer composed of threaded members 150 151 screwing onto each other and ada ted to compensate for slightly varying f istances between the adjacent faces of the cutters. On the work-spindle 32, Iv

have showntwo gangs ofblanks '33, the lower blank of the lower gang resting on a faceplatell52. A face-plate 153 rests on the I upper blank of the lower gang. The lower blank of the upper gang restson a faceplate 154" and a face-plate 155 rests on theupper blank of the upper gang. A nut I '43 on the Work-spindle clamps the blanks.

and face-plates together. i

; line, giving the work-arbor a tendency to bend. The universal adjuster which I provide between successive blanks compensates for-the errors-in thickness in the blanks and prevents theseerrors from becoming cumu ative, thus greatly enhancingaccuraey of results. I.

It is not essential that the two gangs of blanks asshown'in the drawings be operated on by two cutters on-the cutter-spindle, but

this s an advantage. since if onlyone cutter were/ employed it would require more than double the traverse of two cutters on the working stroke. 1

I claim 1 i '1. In a machine having a gear-shaped cutter for cutting gear teeth in a blank by a planing cut andgenerating the curves of the teeth by simultaneous and equal peri 'heral.

; travel of cutter and blank, a cutter ho der, a

gear blank holder, meansfor imparting genera. ating feed movements to said holders, rotary means for reciprocating one of the latterto impart the cutting movement, a frame carry ng said reciprocable holder and plvoted on theaxis of said rotary means, and means for oscillating the frame to separate the cutter and work onthe nonecutting stroke.-

2. In a machine having a gear-shaped cutter for cutting gear teeth in a blank bya' planing cut and generating thecurves'of the teeth by simultaneous and equal peripheral travel of cutter and blank, arotary cutter s indle, a gear blank holder, means for K'sim taneously rotating said spindle and" 'blankholder to give the tooth -.generating movements thereto, a frame in which the,

driver connected to reciprocate the spindle" for giving cutting movements tothe cutter, said frame being pivoted to swing about the axis of said oscillatory driver, and means for swinging the frame to free the cutter on the frame to relievethe cutterafter each cutting stroke, spindlerotating means mounted in said frame for imparting the generating feed movements to the cutter, and a drive for said spindle-rotating means including a shaft jointed for-universal movement to permit swinging of the frame.

4. Ina gear-generating machine having a v gear-shaped metal planing cutter, a workholder and 'means forgiving lateral toothgeneratingfeed movements simultaneouslyto the cutter and work holder, a cutter spindle, an oscillatory driver for reciprocating the spindle and cutter, a frame journaling the spindle and pivoted upon the axis ofsai driver to swing toward and from the work to relieve the cutter on the return stroke thereof, a cam, and abutments carried by the frame bearing against the cam on opposite sides of its center for oscillating the frame.

' 5. Ina gear-generating machine having a gear-shaped metal planing cutter, a work- 'holder' and means for giving lateral toothgenerating feed movements simultaneouslyv to the cutter and work-holder, a cutter spindle, an oscillatory' driver for reciprocating the s indle. and cutter, a frame journaling the s in le and pivoted upon the axis of said river to swing-toward and from the work to relieve the cutter on the return stroke there.- of, a cam, and adjustable abutments carried by the frame having anti friction rolls bearing against the cam on opposite sides of its center for oscillating the frame.

6. In a gear-generating machine havlng a stationary main 'frame,a gear-shaped metal planing cutter, a work-holder and means for I giving simultaneousflateral tooth-generating feed movements thereto, a cutter spindle, an-

oscillatory driver for reciprocating the s indle and cutter, a'swinging frame journaling the spindle andpivote driver to swing toward and from the work to upon the axis of sai relieve the cutter on the return stroke thereof, a cam, abutm'ents carried by the frame bearing against the cam on opposite sides of its, center for oscillatingthe swinging frame,

and cooperating stops on the main and swinging frames arranged to abut when the swinging frame is in cutting position to hold said frame rigidduring the operative stroke of the cutter.

spindle, means for rotating the sameto impart a feed movement thereto, an oscillatory member for reciprocating said spindle, a

wrist'on said member,- means for adjusting said wrist rotatably of the member, a crank device having a radially adjustable wrist, and a pitman connecting said wrists. 8 In a gear-generating machine, a'cutterholder, a movable work-support carrying a feed gear, driving mechanism for imparting simultaneous tooth generating feed movements to said cutter-holder and work-support, and a trip mechanism mounted on a stationary support apart from the worksupport. and timed with the feed of said cutterholder and work-supportfor automatically stopping the said feed upon the completion of the feed movement.

9. In a gear-generating machine, workand cutter holders, means for imparting generating feed movements thereto, a tripping abutfment adapted to stop the feed, a feeding device for propellingsaid abutment including a constantly-operating feed member, a depth- 1 feed having a locking device, and mechanism whereby the operation ofsaid locking device throws said constantly-operating feed member into and out of connection. with the tripping abutment. 1

10. In a gear-generating machine, work and cutter holders, means for imparting generating feed movements thereto, tripping mechanism for automatically stopping said feed movements, a depth-feed, .a locking device therefor, and connections for resetting said tri ping mechanism by the operation of said 100 mg device.

11. In a gear-generating machine, work and cutter holders, means for imparting generating feedmovements thereto, tripping means for interrupting said feed movements, actuating mechanism for said means, a depth feed mechanism forincreasing the amount of penetration of the cutter into the work, and

controlling means for said tripper-actuating and depth feed mechanisms for rendering each inoperativewhile the other is active.

12. In a gear-generating machine, a rotary work-spindle, a plurality of gear-blank 7. In a gear-generating machine, a cutterholding dev ces alined on said spindle, and a compensating adjuster between said devices for adjusting the alinement thereof and of blanks of uneven thickness.

13. In a gear-generating machine, a rotary work-spindle, a plurality 'of gear-blank holding devices alined on said spindle, and a 1 universal adjuster between said devices.

14. In a gear-generating machine, a rotary work-spindle, a plurality of pairs of gear blank holding plates on said spindle, complemental spherical members between adjacent plates, automatically and universally adjustable on each other, and means for clamping 1 said plates together and upon gears held be. tween them.

15. In a gear-generatmg machine, a gearblank holder and, a cutter-spindle one of which members has a reciprocating cutting movement longitudinallyof the cutter-spindle, means for imparting generating feed movements to said holder and spindle, a plurality of multi-toothed gear-shaped generating cutters alined on said spindle, whereby a plurality of gear-blanks may be operated on simultaneously with a cutting movement corresponding to the cut of a single cutter,

and means for imparting a reciprocating cutting movement to the said movable member.

16. In a gear-generating machine, a cuttersupport, a pair of gear shaped generating cutters thereon, and an extensible cutterspacer interposed between said cutters.

17. In a gear-generating machine, a cuttersupport, a pair of gear-shaped generating cutters thereon, and an extensible cutter spacer interposed. between said cutters and comprising members screwing on each other. In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN R. FELLOWS.

Witnesses I v M. L. LAWRENCE, EDWARD MILLER. 

